Don't trust research on children in same-sex families

I take issue with Curt Smith's June 27 op-ed, "For the sake of children, Indiana should protect marriage." In his argument for traditional marriage, he cited a 2012 Social Science Research study that "showed children raised by lesbian or gay parents fared worse than children of straight parents when it came to education, mental health, criminal history and other measures."

What Smith neglected to mention is that the study's methodology has been widely criticized. For example, it compared the children of lesbian mothers and gay fathers with the children of intact heterosexual couples. Additionally, the study included among its gay parents people who had a same-sex relationship at any time, even if it was one experience and even if the people involved did not raise the child together. In fact, when the Social Science Research submitted the study for peer review, 200 researchers signed a letter to the academic journal attacking the "intellectual merit" of the study.

Funny how Smith also neglected to mention that in March 2013 the 60,000-member American Academy of Pediatrics announced it supports same-sex marriage, saying that "extensive data from more than 30 years of research reveal that children raised by gay and lesbian parents have demonstrated resilience with regard to social, psychological, and sexual health despite economic and legal disparities and social stigma."

For the sake of children, how about teaching them what real equality means?

Brian Sweany

Fishers

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Don't trust research on children in same-sex families

I take issue with Curt Smith's June 27 op-ed, 'For the sake of children, Indiana should protect marriage.' In his argument for traditional marriage, he cited a 2012 Social Science Research study that